Coast Guard Unloads Ton of Marijuana in St. Petersburg

The marijuana was seized during a 71-day deployment in the Caribbean Sea.

ST. PETERSBURG – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute offloaded about 1 ton of marijuana Tuesday (May 8) in St. Petersburg.

The marijuana, worth an estimated $2.2 million wholesale, was seized during a 71-day deployment in international waters in the Caribbean Sea.

On March 17, Resolute crew members, with the help of a Customs and Border Protection aircraft crew, interdicted two suspected drug smuggling vessels carrying a combined total of 2,600 pounds of marijuana and detained seven suspected drug smugglers as part of Operation Riptide.

“By working hand-in-hand with DHS partners and the nation of Jamaica, we were able to efficiently interdict the 2,600 pounds of marijuana seen on the pier today,” said Cmdr. Carmen DeGeorge, the Resolute‘s commanding officer. “Today’s offload represents the ongoing commitment of U.S. and international partners to combat transnational criminal networks and promote stability across the Caribbean region.”

The Resolute crew returned from a 71-day deployment April 28.

Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance-class cutter, homeported in St. Petersburg and has a crew of 81.

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Photo of marijuana being offloaded courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay.